Method of discharging the exhaust steam of steam plants into the open air



Sept. 28, 193 7.

E. BURMEISTER METHOD OF DISCHARGING THE EXHAUST STEAM 0F STEAM PLANTS INTO THE OPEN AIR Filed Feb. 19, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l p -2 1937- E. BURMEISTER 2,094,315

METHOD OF DISCHARGING THE EXHAUS T STEAM OF STEAM PLANTS INTO THE OPEN AIR Filed Feb. 19, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Sept. 28, 1937. E BURME|5TER 2,094,315

METHOD OF DISCHARGING THE EXHAUST STEAM OF STEAM PLANTS INTO THE OPEN AIR Filed Feb. 19, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 6.

NHNIIIIIIIINNIINNNNNNN QHHNNHUNNHHIINHHHNUNN Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,094,315 METHOD OF DISCHARGING THE EXHAUST STEAM 0F STEAM PLANTS OPEN AIR Erich Burmeister, Essen, Germany,

INTO THE assignor to Fried. Krupp Aktiengesellschaft, Essen-onthc- Ruhr, Germany Claims. (01. 60-90) The invention has for its object to provide an improved method of, and appliance for discharging the exhaust steam of steam plants into the open air, more particularly for locomotives.

With steam locomotives the exhaust steam of which is discharged into the open air through the blast/pipe and the smoke stack, unfavorable atmospheric conditions frequently cause the steam vapor to appear in the form of a white mist, which is visible at some distance and which not only troubles the passengers of a train, but may cause accidents, by obscuring the sight of an oncoming train-for example.

The object of the invention is to render such exhaust steam invisible. This object is achieved by dividing the exhaust steam into two parts and condensing one of these parts by heat exchange with a current of air, to which the other part is then added. Owing to the great dilution of the exhaust steam thus obtained, a steam-air mixture isproduced, the percentage of moisture of which, when escaping into the air, lies sufficiently below the dew point so that the exhaust steam remains invisible. I v

'Advantageously the uncondensed part of the exhaust steam is united with the current of heated air immediately behind the placeofexit of the heated air from the liquefying device or condenser. In further developing the idea of the invention, if the steam plant comprises a furnace, part of the exhaust steam which is mixed with thecurrent of hot air, or the moist air thus obtained is further mixed, before escaping into the open air, with the waste gases of the furnace. It is also possible, however, first to mix the uncondensed gaseous part of the exhaust steam with the smoke gases and to add to this mixture of smoke gases and exhaust steam the air heated by the condensation of the other part of the exhaust steam. This latter method affords the further advantage that the smoke is also highly diluted and thus becomes less visible.

- vIn order that the invention may be more easily understood and readily carried into effect, several embodiments of the'same are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings as applied to steam-locomotives. In these drawings Figure 1 is a, fragmentary side elevation of a locomotive constituting the first embodiment, a

' Figure 2 is a front view thereof, and Figure 3 is a detail of Figure 2 on enlarge iscale. l

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional side ele-' vation of a locomotive and shows the second'em- 'bodiment of the invention. 1

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the third embodiment. 1 a V Figure 6 shows a fourth modification of the in- Vention. inaview similar to Figure 3, and

' remote from the condenser Q escapes through the nozzles exhaust steam and air thus obtained is gradually deflected upward in a channel l4 attached to the lel with the engine and the condenser 9.

Figure 7 represents a. fifth embodiment of the invention in a view similar to Figure 4.

The embodiment represented in Figures 1-3 will be described first. I, l denote the exhaust steam conduits of the locomotive cylinders 2, 2. These conduits lead to an-exhaust steam turbine 3 which drives a furnace suction blower 4. The exhaust steam leaves the turbine 3 through a pipe 5 which at 6 bifurcates so as to form two branches 1 and 8. The branch pipe 1 leads to a steam condensing plant 9 arranged on the front end of the locomotive. The steam is con densed in the vertical tubes if! of the condenser, Figure 3, and the water of condensation collects in a collecting space H. From this space leads. a pipe through which the water flows either immediately to the feed pump of the locomotive or, to another container (not shown). The other branch pipe 8 has attached to it a number of [2 which on the side are provided each with three nozzle-like outlet openings l3, Figure 3.

Now air enters the intermediate spaces of the condenser 9 from the perforated front side transversely of the tubes l0, and takes up the heat of liquefaction of the steam condensed in the tubes 10.) Consequently, the air is heated.

The heated air is admixed with that part of the exhaust steam which is not condensed but I3. The mixture of superposed horizontal tubes rear side of the condenser 9, and escapes through the channel I4 into the open air. Since the capacity of the air of leading with it steam in gascons and thus invisible condition, chiefly depends on the temperature of the air, it is possible within wide limits, for example on cold days, to

heat the air more highly by condensing a greater part of the exhaust steam and to lead a smaller part thereof into the open air, so that no water vapor at once precipitates and forms white mist as soon as the mixture arrives in the outer air.

With low speed locomotives it will be advisable to provide further a fan which sucks the air through the condenser 9, as shown in Figure 6.

Such a fan 22 may be driven for example by a steam turbine 23 disposed between the turbine 3 ".for the blower 4 and thecondenser 9 or in paralturbine 3 between-the locomotive The embodiment represented in Figure 4 differs from that described in the foregoing chiefly by the pressure pipe I5 of the blower 4 opening into the channel l4. To this end the blower 4 and its driving turbine 3 are arranged on the end .of the smoke box about at half the height thereof. IAlso'inJthis construction a special blower may be provided for the conveyance of the hot air, as illustrated in Figure '7.

There is further the possibility of mixing that part of the exhaust steam which remains gaseous first with the waste gases of the furnace and adding this mixture of waste gases and exhaust steam to the air passing through and heated in the condenser 9. Figure 5 shows an embodiment of this further idea of invention.

In this figure the exhaust pipes I of the locomotive cylinders 2 open into a blast pipe I! arranged in the smoke box I6 and subdivided so as to form three nozzle branches. This blast pipe serves to suck on the smoke gases. A pipe 7 leads, further, from the blast pipe I! to the condenser 9. Hence, only part of the exhaust steam escapes through the trifurcated blast pipe I 7 while the remainder through pipe I streams to the condenser 9. Above the three nozzles of the blast pipe H are provided in the wall of the channel [4 three further nozzle-like tubular pieces 18 which act as a blast pipe. The mixture of smoke gases and exhaust steam escaping from these intermediate blast pipes l8 produces in the channel la a vacuum which suffices to suck the air through the condenser into the channel I4. Consequently the air heated in the condenser 9 is mixed with the mixture of smoke gases and exhaust steam and the mixture escapes through three further nozzle-like outlets l9 and through the chimney into the open air.

Obviously the invention is capable of being applied to any steam plant in which exhaust steam is led into the open air. It is therefore intended that the embodiments illustrated and described in the foregoing specification be interpreted merelyas illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of treating the exhaust steam of steam plants consisting in dividing the total exhaust steam into two parts, liquefying one of said parts in a condenser, heating air by the heat which becomes free by said liquefaction, mixing this hot air with the other part of the exhaust steam, and leading this mixture into the open air.

2. The method of treating the exhaust steam of steam plants consisting in dividing the total exhaust steam into two parts, liquefying one of said parts in a condenser, heating air by the heat which becomes free by said liquefaction, admixing to this hot air immediately at the place of its exit from the condenser the other part of the exhaust steam, and leading the mixture into the open air.

3. The method of treating the exhaust steam of steam plants consisting in dividing the total exhaust steam into two parts, liquefying one of said parts in a condenser, heating air by the heat which becomes free by said liquefaction, mixing this hot air with the other part of the exhaust .steam and with at least part of the smoke gases of the furnace of the plant, and leading this mixture into the open air.

4. The method of treating the exhaust steam of steam plants consisting in dividing the total exhaust steam into two parts, liquefying one of said 'parts in a condenser, heating air by the heat which becomes free by said liquefaction, mixing the other part of the exhaust steam with at least part of the smoke gases of the furnace of the plant and thereupon with said hot air, and leading the mixture into the open air.

5. The method as specified in claim 4, in which said other part of the exhaust sucks said smoke gases and is mixed therewith, whereafter the mixture sucks the hot air and is mixed therewith,

the whole mixture then being led into the open air.

6. In a steam power plant, an exhaust steam pipe and a condenser, said exhaust steam pipe being subdivided into two branch pipes simultaneously open to said exhaust steam pipe, one of said branch pipes leading to said condenser, means for heating air in said condenser by the heat which becomes free therein, a duct adapted to lead said air away from said condenser into the open air, a plurality of tubes communicating with said other branch pipe and projecting into said hot air duct and having outlet ports adapted to cause the exhaust steam to escape through them in the direction of flow of the hot air in said duct.

'7. A steam power plant comprising a steam boiler, a furnace therefor, a device for converting the energy of steam into work, an exhaust steam pipe leading away from said device, and a condenser, said exhaust steam pipe being subdivided into two branches simultaneously open to said exhaust steam pipe, one of which leads to said condenser, means for heating air in said'condenser by the heat which becomes free therein, a duct adapted to lead said hot air from said condenser to the open air, means for admitting steam from the other one of said branches to said duct, and means for admitting the smoke gases of said furnace into said duct.

8. A steam power plant comprising a steam boiler, a furnace therefor, a device for converting the energy of steam into work, an exhaust steam pipe leading away from said device, and a condenser, said exhaust steam pipe being subdivided into two branches simultaneously open to said exhaust steam pipe, one of which leads to said condenser, means for heating air in said condenser by the heat which becomes free therein, a duct adapted to lead said hot air from said condenser to the open air, means for admitting exhaust steam from the other of said branches to said duct, said last means being arranged to suck the waste gases from said furnace into said duct along with the exhaust steam from said other branch.

9. A steam power plant comprising a steam boiler with a smoke box, a device for converting the energy of steam into work, an exhaust pipe leading away from said device, and a condenser, said exhaust steam pipe being subdivided into two branches simultaneously open to said exhaust steam pipe, one of which leads to said condenser, means for heating air in said condenser by the heat which becomes free therein, a duct adapted to lead said hot air from said condenser to the open air, the other branch pipe of said exhaust terminating in a blast pipe opening into said smoke box, and another blast pipe mounted in the wall of said duct above said first-named blast pipe and adapted to direct a blast of steam and smoke into said duct to suck the hot air supplied through said duct.

10. In a steam plant, a condenser, an exhaust conduit having two simultaneously open branches to divide the exhaust steam into two parts, one

of said branches being connected to said condenser, means for passing air in heat exchanging relation with the steam in said condenser to absorb the heat which becomes free upon condensation of the steam, and means for admixing steam from the other branch of said exhaust conduit with the heated air coming from said condenser.

ERICH BURMEISTER. 

